The temperature outside is warming up, trees are greening, flowers are blooming – it must be spring! This is the perfect time to think about getting our Cloverbuds outside and exploring nature! At this age youth learn through exploration and direct experience. Our natural world is the perfect setting for this exploration and learning to take place.
You might ask yourself why it is important to expose young children to nature. A study done by experts at Stanford University looked at articles and studies about the benefits of environmental education. These studies show that environmental education improves knowledge in science, mathematics, reading and writing as well as 21st century skills like critical thinking, problem solving and communication. Environmental education also improves emotional and social skills like self-esteem.
Another article from the University of Florida Extension talks specifically about connecting youth to nature during early childhood. The article talks about benefits to physical health like increased likelihood for physical activity and improved gross motor skills. The article also talks about cognitive development. It says that exposure to nature can decrease stress levels, promote longer attention spans and foster creativity.
Allowing children to explore nature can also build empathy for living beings and foster environmental stewardship. Children learn about the delicate balance of nature and are inspired to protect our planet. Research shows that children involved in environmental education participate in environmentally friendly behaviors such as recycling, reducing water use and participating in community cleanups.
Being outside with friends and family helps promote relationships and creates lifelong memories. Some of my favorite childhood memories are of tractor rides with my sister and cousins in my grandparents’ woods. My grandpa would stop the tractor and let us explore. We would swing on vines, climb on fallen trees and enjoy the time together.
There are many ways to get outside with your Cloverbuds. The Ohio 4-H Cloverud Program provides a variety of resources to help you. The Big Book of Cloverbud Activities which can be purchased through Ohio Extension offices or from Extension Publications is full of activities related around the natural world. The section about animals and environmental and earth sciences are a perfect place to start. The ant antics activity where Cloverbuds learn about ant body parts and make an ant from marshmallows and pipe cleaners is a fun activity.
This Cloverbud Connections blog is another place to search for fun activities. A quick search with the word nature resulted in several helpful articles. One by Extension Specialist, Theresa Ferrari gives several ideas for scavenger hunts. Lindsey VanGundy, 4-H Educator and Cloverbud Design Team member gives ideas for fall fun in her article, “Fall Fun with Cloverbuds”. Rebecca Supinger, who is also a 4-H Educator and leader of the Cloverbud Design Team, describes outdoor activities for Cloverbuds in her article, “Getting Outside with Cloverbuds”. Aubrey Fowler, 4-H Educator, also gives great ideas in her article “Time to Get Outdoors”
Another great resource for activities are Ohio 4-H Cloverbud Click and Do Activities. One we recently highlighted is called Nature Color Match written by Bruce Zimmer who also serves on the Ohio 4-H Cloverbud Design Team. This activity lets Cloverbuds see all the different shade of a particular color in nature by using paint color chips to match colors. The sky has been in the news recently with the eclipse in April and the aurora borealis in May. It is the perfect time to use the Find the North Star activity to explore the night sky.
Reading to Cloverbuds is another great way to connect to nature and build literacy skills. Ohio 4-H Reading Adventures connect books with activities to enhance the learning. Several reading adventures feature books that relate to nature. Jan Brett’s book, The Umbrella, takes readers to a cloud forest. Activities for this book guide Cloverbuds and making a cloud in a jar and fun nature themes snacks. The reading adventure for the book, Diary of a Worm, by Dorine Cronin, feature an activity where youth measure gummy worms. This fun activity promotes math skills.
No matter what you choose to do with your Cloverbuds outside you are providing many benefits. Take a minute to explore all the resources Ohio 4-H has to help you.